Following the tragic drowning of two young people in Bournemouth Beach, an inquest has revealed that three “mass casualty rescues” had taken place in the same beach the previous two summers. Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and Sunnah Khan, 12, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, both lost their lives after getting caught in a rip tide in May 2023. Eight other people were also treated by paramedics in the same incident. RNLI general manager Peter Dawes revealed that there had been three “assists” involving five or more casualties during the summers of 2021 and 2022.
During the inquest, Dawes noted that a safety audit carried out on Bournemouth Beach on December 4, 2020, had identified a “topographically-constrained rip” as being “high risk.” This incident was one of the hazards that prompted improved signage. Parking was at a premium on the day of the tragedy, and seven certified lifeguards were on duty at the beach. Additional lifeguards and watercraft units from other beaches were brought in once the seriousness of the incident was realized.
The review of the signage and recommendations to add warning symbols for “beware of strong currents” and “keeping children under supervision” had been delayed due to the pandemic. BCP Council was sent the review in March 2023, two months prior to the incident. The parents of the two youngsters have questioned the lifeguard response to the incident and whether better signs warning about rip tides near the pier should have been in place.
The review recommends additional warning symbols posted reading “beware of strong currents” and “keeping children under supervision.” The tragedy prompted the inquest, which aims to understand the circumstances surrounding the event and those that contributed to it. The hearing will continue in the coming days
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